NEGROS Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has directed city and municipal mayors in the province to implement the banning of all live pigs, pork and other related items coming from Davao Region.
The governor issued the memorandum Monday, February 3, following the positive African Swine Fever (ASF) case in Davao Occidental, the first ever outside Luzon that resulted in the killing of at least 1,000 pigs.
Memorandum 20-001 states that this is "by virtue of Provincial Ordinance 2019-024, otherwise known as the ASF Prevention Ordinance of Negros Occidental specifically Section 4 thereof and in view of the recent reports of ASF in Davao Occidental."
Lacson, in the order, which also applies to members of the Provincial ASF Task Force, directed the local chief executives to ensure implementation of preventive measures in their respective area of jurisdiction.
These measures include conduct of rigid and stringent screening and inspection of incoming shipments of live animals and pork products from Mindanao, and holding of checkpoints to intercept and control movement of live animals, pork, pork products and other related items entering the province.
There should be "confiscation and condemnation of undocumented shipment of live animals, animal products and by-products to the province," he said, adding that a "conduct of mandatory and regular disinfection of transport carriers upon arrival at ports of entry and ensure proper disposal of food wastes from sea vessels" must also be implemented.
The mayors and task force members are further told to report cases of unusual mortalities among pigs within their area to ensure prompt and immediate response.
Lacson, who chairs Provincial ASF Task Force, also enjoined local government units (LGUs) to coordinate with the task force their activities to ensure a coordinated response and action throughout the province.
'Very high alert'
For his part, Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena, the co-chair of the task force, said the province is now on "very high alert" in terms of preventing the entry of live pigs and pork products from Mindanao.
Decena said he has already issued a memorandum to all veterinary inspectors, putting Negros Occidental on a "very high alert" status in order to maintain it as an ASF-free province.
The Provincial ASF Task Force was already instructed to strictly monitor the entry of pork meat products from Mindanao especially from Davao and General Santos City.
ASF reached Davao Occidental probably because they have not banned the entry of pork meat products, he said, adding that canned goods that may have been contaminated with ASF might have caused the contamination in the area.
"The shipments from Mindanao actually passes through Dapitan, Dumaguete City, Kabankalan City and Bredco Port in Bacolod City going to Dumangas in Iloilo and Manila destinations," he said, adding that "though we do not source out pigs because we are surplus supply, we still have to conduct disinfection procedures in ports."
Negros Occidental currently has a total population of at least 550,000 live pigs. It ranks first in terms of backyard swine production in the country.
It can be recalled that since December 2019, pork and other related products from Luzon and countries affected by ASF have been permanently banned in the province.
The Provincial Board approved the provincial ordinance in November, imposing the ban to protect the P6-billion swine industry of the province. (With reports from Teresa D. Ellera)